What is Vitamin D and how does it affect the body?
What we refer to as ‘vitamin D’ is actually a collection of fat-soluble secosteroids that assist the human body in a variety ways. As colloidal minerals and other vitamins are essential for body-health, vitamin D secosteroids help the body retain and absorb these important chemical additions. Calcium, iron, phosphate, zinc and magnesium are processed and absorbed more easily thanks to vitamin D, which is activated in the liver and kidney.
Essentially, the vitamin is formed on the surface of the skin during direct exposure to sunlight. Ultra Violet B (UVB) radiation from the sun is predominantly responsible for the internal production of vitamin D, although small amounts can also found in foods such as oily fish, eggs, and ‘vitamin D-fortified’ products (these are more common overseas).
Doctors and other health based organisations (such as the Cancer Council Australia and Osteoporosis Australia) suggest vitamin D is essential to maintaining stronger bone density and muscle growth. The vitamin aids in the absorption of calcium from food, transferring the positive benefits to nearby bones and muscles.
In addition to this benefit, vitamin D is also an essential part of regulating and processing calcium within the bloodstream; when the processed calcium is pumped through the body’s arteries and muscles, the end result is increased muscle strength and promoted growth.